It’s all an Illusion

The enemy’s greatest tactic and strategy is deception. The devil comes to kill, steal and destroy but God comes to give us life more abundantly. John 10:10

If the enemy can blind the eyes of the lost he has won the victory and if he can blind the eyes of a believer he has defeated his greatest opposition. He goes through great lengths to use smokescreens to distort reality and construe misinformation. He is the father of all lies. He will challenge your actions, ideas, motives, character or whatever else he can use to plant, fear, doubt, frustration, or confusion in your mind.

In all effort, he plots, schemes and plans evil devices to destroy or hinder your spirit. If he can gain access to your spirit, heart or mind, he can tamper with your emotions, attitudes, belief systems, thoughts and worst of all your heart posture or composure. He enjoys to provoke, aggravate and taunt you.

The Father’s faithfulness overrides the devil’s wickedness.

Once you have a stony heart, the Holy Spirit cannot dwell there. He desires to plant seeds of bitterness, hate, jealousy, envy, strife and all out destruction in your life.

Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

As a believer, you have authority and power to uproot the seeds that the enemy tries to plant inside your heart or mind. He slithers slowly and gently when he’s aware that you understand his agenda. He proceeds when you are weak or tired.

As a believer, you must constantly be on guard at all times. It states in Ephesians 6 that you should put on the whole armor of the Lord so you will be able to stand in the evil day.

13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Esph 6:13

The world is under a great delusion. The truth has blinded the eyes of the masses but there are a few who have awaken to the dark lies and secrets of the enemy. It is slowly being exposed to the masses.

As we become enlightened to the truth, we have a responsibility to expose the truth to others.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

We will also be held accountable by the Lord for hindering the assignments of the Lord and for the preparation of Jesus return.

Where much is given, much is required. If you have heard that wisdom, you know it means  we are held responsible for what we have. Luke 12:28

So, we must continue to work diligently with our hands to the plow to build the house of the Lord for His glory.

He is coming back for His church without spot or blemish. Eph 5:27

Don’t allow yourself to fall into deception due to a lack of faith, old belief systems or mindsets. It can be pretty scary when you look at the world through the intricate lense with your natural eyes, but we must learn to walk in the Spirit using wisdom and discernment to clear the smokescreens and the traps of the enemy.

Continue to ask the Lord for extra courage and strength so that you will triumph in victory. Amen!

Renewing Your Mind

As we anxiously wait for the first day of summer, let us not forget this is the perfect time to reflect on the goals we set during the beginning of the year. We are halfway through 2010. Let us not to forget to evaluate our lives and what we plan to achieve by the end of the year. We are always reminded during Spring to clean out the clutter, so we may receive new things.

Let us not forget to clean out our minds which include bad memories and habits, defeated thoughts and attitudes or anything else that may be holding us back from receiving what God has promised us as His children. “Behold, I am doing a new thing. Old things have passed away. Behold, I make all things new.” II Corth 5:17

Refocus on Priorities

It’s important to take time to reflect on your life in a positive way. Don’t beat yourself up for goals that you haven’t attained just yet. But, just learn to refocus on priorities and set small goals to work towards what you desire to achieve.

Build a Support System

Also, you must pay close attention to your social environment. You should build a strong support system of family, friends, neighbors, classmates and church associates.

What type of people do you surround yourself? Make sure you are surrounding yourself with positive people who will inspire, encourage and motivate you. Pay attention to the details of the heart of people that you interact with on a daily basis. What are their motives or intentions? Are their actions and words positive or negative? Take note of their behavior and decide whether you choose to be around them. You are valuable and so is your time.

You should spend time expanding your mind. If you don’t enjoy reading, make it a point to watch a movie or documentary that will give you a different perspective on life. You need to refresh your mind. Water your mind with knowledge and watch it grow. In scripture it states, “My people will perish for the lack of knowledge.” So, don’t be afraid to surround yourself with people who think differently than you do. Expose yourself to new cultures, races, creeds, religions or non-religious people. Be open to new ideas, opinions and thoughts. You can have a healthy conversation without having a debate or argument. That’s what makes life interesting. You do not have to agree with the person, but please make sure you respect them.

Guard Your Heart and Thoughts

It’s important to guard your thoughts. It’s so easy to dwell on negative emotions or words that will eventually influence your mind and behavior. Be mindful of what you allow to enter into your mind. There are many negative influences that surround us in the world and it doesn’t take long for a negative seed to be planted in your mind which eventually takes root. It’s much like weeds growing among beautiful, green grass. Weeds tend to multiply quickly and destroy the view. If you feed your mind junk, that’s exactly what you will eventually believe or think.

We are constantly influenced by images, words and stereotypes that influence the way we think. We have been so programmed that we often do not really learn to think for ourselves anymore. Don’t rely on gossip or rumors, but confront the source to get the correct information. Let’s be conscious of what we choose to listen to since this has a strong impact on how we see ourselves and others and can eventually influence our overall behavior.

Fill your mind with God’s word. It’s the most important thing you can do to withstand the attacks from the enemy. The only way to win the battles that come against you is to put on the armor of the Lord. To overcome the storms of life, you must read and study God’s word. It’s filled with power, truth, protection, guidance and His promises. Through daily mediation on God’s word, you will start to build faith, strength and courage to overcome the challenges and obstacles that you face. Through prayer, you will build a relationship with the Lord and will be shielded through your trials and tribulations. Even though bad things will still happen, hold onto your faith. You will have to endure many tests in life. Keeping your heart and mind grounded in the word of God, will eventually lead you to the harvest He has prepared for you.